In the chaos and stress following the 2016 Presidential election there is much pain in watching all the hate crimes and violence being committed as an after effect. It seems as if many feel they have been granted national permission to act out their hatred onto other groups of people, making many feel as if this country is turning into a hopeless place.

Individually we can do two things with this chaos. We can join in and create more violence and division; or we can pull within to individually examine ourselves, the one thing each of us has control over. If we want more for ourselves and our country, we all have work to do to inspire and create those changes.

1. Ask questions.

When we sit in thought about all of our possibilities, the various ideas which most powerfully grab our interests will naturally surface, along with the blueprints to the paths we need to take to get there. If we can think something up, if the thought is possible, then achieving that thought is also possible.

If we feel we have lost control over our larger political structure, then we must ask; What do we want for ourselves and our country? What legacy do we want to leave in making a significant difference? How can we inspire change? How can we find and generate peace in this horrible chaos?

2. Motivation.

Motivation is the immediate response we get when asking ourselves how we can make a difference. When we think about wanting more for ourselves, our ideas spark ambition and excitement. We must let this chaotic time in our nation motivate us. Whenever we want more for ourselves we naturally generate the energy necessary to get into action. Motivation is a choice. It is the conscious commitment we make when we want something badly enough. Being inspired about wanting more for ourselves, and our country, is the deeply held reason we must act. Stop ranting, and start acting for the greater good.

3. Make clear choices.

Once we have our self-reflection questions paired with possibilities, we naturally become endowed with the attention and direction necessary to press forward. We must start designing the path we will take to peacefully reach our aims. As our choices in strategy become clear, our paths also become illuminated. We must make choices, commit to them wholeheartedly and embrace our will to act. Slowly but surely we will begin to watch our possibilities manifest and have an impact. When a choice is clear, focus is present.

4. Mindfulness.

All paths will bring the unexpected, but to respond with violence and hatred has never proven successful in the long term. To successfully achieve any meaningful change we must harness control over our own thoughts, emotions and actions. A fragmented mental or emotional state, regardless of our ambition or sense of rightness, will take us nowhere. Internal fragmentation puts us into chaos, we lose focus and eventually run out of motivation to keep moving forward. The mind, if left unchecked, easily fills with fear, frustration, anger and doubt. The more mindful we are of ourselves, the more intelligently we can approach and resolve our conflicts.

5. Expectancy.

To affect change we must believe we can make a real difference individually and collectively. If this expectancy isn’t deeply rooted, we won’t believe we are truly capable of achieving the changes we seek, and this will decrease motivation.

To be succeed we must live with a touch of madness. The more deeply we believe in what we’re doing, the less we should need to rant and advertise our opinions. Stop convincing and complaining. Shut up, and start working to create change. If we expect, truly expect to achieve what we set out for, we will achieve it.

6. Effort.

Working hard comes easily when passion and conviction are present. One of the best ways to get clear on what needs to change is to live with a result we don’t like. The more we can envision what we want, the more we make that our focus, the more willing we will be to work at it each day. Working hard guarantees results. We must ensure the level of our effort, not the loudness of our arguments, be a reflection of our bold and unwavering commitment to making the changes we desire to see.

7. Patience.

In tumultuous times we must be patient. Hard work often doesn’t show measurable results immediately. Things in this world take time to manifest. Giving up is the opposite of patience and it isn’t noble. Patience means we continue to expect that our desired outcomes will happen, no matter what. We must commit to do whatever we have to do to learn and grow in the ways we must to keep us striving forward. We must trust in our ability to learn, to work and to ask for help and support when necessary.

Have faith. Change in any form is never a singular event, it’s a process.

8. Sustain.

Motivation, ambition and belief will wax and wane for any human being. Expect this to happen and prepare for it. We have to focus on the changes we want see with persistence. We must back our beliefs with the behaviors and actions to sustain and keep them alive.

Whatever changes we want to see will need our time, care and attention. We must consistently review goals and examine what can be done in the next day, week, month and year to keep our journey alive.

9. Attitude.

Our attitude is the foundation of our platform. To create real change we must show class with the words we speak, the actions we take and the deeds we accomplish. Enthusiasm is infectious. It gets others believing in our mission, enough so that they often want to be a part of it.

We each will choose how we get up and show up. Violence, rage and argument turn people away from good causes. We must let this time in our nation inspire us to meet our obstacles with a smile, a sense of humor, an open mind and a dogged determination. With this approach we will solve problems, rather than create them.

10. Meet your changes.

To get to the finish line of any change, we must meet these changes face-to-face holding tightly to our convictions and personal power to never give up. We cannot make changes thinking small. We must introduce our ideas to the world with a bold conviction, knowing we’re here to make a significant difference. We must be elegant and well-spoken around our mission for others to take us seriously. We must stand in our vision of a greater world with the fullness of our personal presence and power. When we do this, there will be nothing to ultimately stand in our way.

Change only happens one person at a time, even at this time in our country. The results of this election are good for all of us to experience. It has shown the truth of the desperate state of our nation. We need to be a nation of people who are peacefully driven, regardless of who is President. We must choose not to see ceilings above us, and instead focus on the dream out in front of us. For us, it can’t be about pushing others down for us to move up, it must be about individually pushing forward and expanding so everyone can benefit. The key take away is this; as soon as we want something greater for ourselves, our will, motivation and inspiration will spark, and the changes we seek will begin to manifest.